A Flock of Mother Hens
by poxelda
Summary: Shameless Mac whump fest wrapped in fluff. Hurt/ comfort. No violence, probably swearing.
1. Chapter 1

***Sorry to kill another story on you guys, but A few of my favorite things was a confusing mess. A few of you have expressed disappointment that when I kill a story, I delete it. I do this because I have been burnt too many times by orphaned stories. You get into it and wait...but nothing so you are left hanging forever. Terrible. Secondly, if I have an unfinished story I obsess about it and become totally unable to write anything. I do have the document files, maybe if there's an interest I'll publish them all under a fractured story collection or something. Anyway, sorry-another one gone.

Before the haters hate, I know head injuries don't act this way or cause these symptoms, and I don't care. LOL :) Thanks for reading-Pox

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A wobble was the only warning Jack had. The team was walking down the hall to debrief. Mac paused in midstep, wobbled into Jack then was on the floor. Jack, Riley and Bozer stared at the unmoving blonde a long second before it sunk in.

"Mac?" Jack asked his brow furrowed in worry. He crouched beside Mac. The mission had been a simple handoff that went off without a hitch. Jack didn't see any bruises or wounds. He put the back of his hand against Mac's head. No fever or chills. The kid was just-out.

"Jack, what's wrong with him?" Riley asked.

"Mac? C'mon, man, you promised no more of this dramatic stuff." Bozer said crouching on the other side of Mac. He put a hand on his best friend's chest. Mac's chest rose and fell easy and regular, his heart beat like normal.

"What is going on here?" Matty asked striding to the group. Her eyes widened and she pushed Bozer and Riley aside. She half-turned to her ever-present minions.

"Get medical up here." She turned back to Jack, "What happened? You didn't report any injuries."

"There wasn't any; I don't know what's wrong." Jack met Matty's gaze a note of panic in his eyes. He turned back to Mac when the younger man let out a soft gasp and his body jerked.

"Mac?" He asked. Mac's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Mac blinked confused. He put a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes with a soft moan. His head was going to explode.

"Mac? What's going on? You sick?" Mac narrowed his eyes against the over-bright lights over him. He frowned.

"How'd that get there?" Mac mumbled confused. Jack followed his pointing finger to the recessed light fixture in the ceiling. Mac glanced at Jack surprised to see the team staring down at him, "How are you all standing upside down?" His teammates shared a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" Matty demanded. Mac shook his head then moaned closing his eyes. Mac let out a long sigh and moved to sit up. Jack pressed down on his chest. Mac slid on the tile and cried out softly as his head banged against the floor. His eyes lost focus again.

"Mac?" Jack asked. Mac's eyes fluttered and he went limp, his eye slumping to the side. Jack glanced at the others in panic, "Mac!" Jack tapped Mac's face, "Don't do this, dammit."

"Coming through." A familiar voice said. The team left an open path for Doc Carl and Sally. The young curly-haired doctor crouched by Mac. He glanced over at Jack.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. We were just walking and he fell down."

"Pulse is 110 B/P 100/40." Sally said pulling the blood pressure cuff off. Doc Carl frowned and felt along Mac's neck and head. He scowled when he got to the back of Mac's head.

"He has a swollen area."

"What?" Jack asked his eyes narrowing as he looked down at his partner.

"Maybe it was from that fall last week." Bozer said looking at the others with wide eyes.

"Fall? You said there wasn't any injuries in Rapa Nui?"

"There wasn't!" Jack whirled on Bozer, "Fall?" Bozer stepped back as Hank and Tomaz, the new orderlies, rolled a cart to Mac's side. Jack, Doc Carl, Sally and the two men in scrubs lifted Mac onto the cart.

"Ok, Sally, we need some fluids-" The young doctor's voice was cut off by the ding of the elevator. Jack whirled on Bozer who shrank back.

"What's this about a fall?"

"Mac, was fixing the deck and fell off the ladder." Jack's eyes were smoldering coals.

"He said he was fine!" Bozer whined.

"And you believed him?" Jack's voice wasn't quite a bellow.

"He looked fine." Bozer said. Jack could see guilt fill Bozer's eyes. He spun and shook his head. He wasn't mad at Bozer, not really. He couldn't believe he missed it.

"Alright, enough blame." Matty snapped.

"Yeah, it isn't our fault. Mac should know better than to hide things by now." Riley said anger in her voice.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Bozer said. Jack huffed.

"I gotta go downstairs."

"Go, Jack. Keep me up to date." Jack nodded as he jogged down the hall and took the stairs.

The world was acting very strangely, Mac thought as he groaned holding his head to keep it from rolling off his neck. Everything slid by like he was in a blender. Voices circled but remained too blurry to catch. He reached out to stop the confused Wilt a Twirl-no that's not right. Mac turned his head away as he slid under explosions of white lights.

"What's not right?" The voice was familiar, warm. Mac squinted up. Doc Carl stared down at him. His curly hair looked like it was on fire. It took Mac a long minute to realize it was the bright light behind the doctor. The doc had a deep furrow in between his eyes. This meant he was puzzled. He was puzzled! Mac opened his mouth to ask the doc just what the hell was going on, when he was suddenly exploding. It took Mac a long minute to realize he was puking, then another to realize he didn't feel well at all.

Doc Carl's eyes widened in surprise and he gracefully side-stepped. Mac felt familiar hands under his shoulders sitting him upright. Mac closed his eyes. A regiment of blade-footed soldiers trooped across his head. Mac's body jerked and he again exploded. The smell was terrible and he was covered in yuk. Mac gagged and spit.

"Well that was less than pretty." Sally said at his side. Mac rolled his eyes in her general direction and aimed the strongest glare he could muster at her. She laughed moving so he leaned against her, "It's ok, Mac. We'll get you cleaned up, let it all out." Mac's eyes burned with tears as he again wretched. How much had he ever eaten in his life?

"Ma-ew." Jack said wrinkling his nose. Mac leaned his head back tired. How had his life gone to shit so completely in...Mac coughed and spit. How long had what is going on been going on? Mac frowned. Everything in his head felt fluid...and slimy. And his head. Mac moaned reaching up to feel his head. Had he been clubbed by a baseball bat? Mac couldn't remember...couldn't think. Even his teeth hurt. Mac's gut churned.

Jack caught his arm by his elbow.

"Don't touch...anything, ok?" Mac blinked up at him. Jack's head seemed to wobble side to side like a staticky image. Mac turned away his gut heaving again.

"Why don't you get him cleaned up? We need a CT-"

"We get to clean him up?" Mac thought Jack's voice had too much snark in it.

"What can I say? It's good to be the doc." Doc Carl said laughing. It was a nice sound, the kind of sound that made you want to live.

"Ok, brother, let's get this-ugh-" Mac heard gagging beside him. Mac turned aside waiting for the older man's puke to add onto his own.

"Don't you dare!" Sally growled.

"Sal-"

"HANK!" Mac cried out, the yell reverberated through his skull, "Sorry, kiddo."

"Wow, that got ugly fast." Mac stared up into the new orderly's face. He hadn't had a chance to meet the two new guys. Hank looked like the stereotypical platinum blonde tanned LA laid back beach boy, but Mac knew he was anything but. He was almost done with his third doctorate from UCLA. He was a forensic genius and willing to work under Sally's command. To Mac that made him a long suffering saint that was interesting to talk to. The blond Adonis also had a nimble soft touch.

Mac burped and moaned as he was folded then helped off the table to a wheelchair. He realized how wet and gross he was. He bent forward retching again.

"Jack…" He said in soft misery.

"It's ok, Mac, he had to step out." Hank offered.

"You know how sensitive his gut gets." Sally murmured in his ear. Mac leaned forward gasping in pain as he snorted in laughter. Jack? The idea of his partner having a sensitive anything caught him as funny? Mac giggled.

"Sally, is he ok?" Mac growled at the soft question asked over his head. Ok? He was covered in vomit, did he look ok?

"Sorry, man." Mac frowned up at the man.

"Did you just read my mind?" Hank shared a nonplussed look at Sally. Sally shrugged and locked the wheelchair.

"Can you walk to the shower?" Mac closed one eye and looked up at her. It kept her three heads from screaming at her like fiery demons. Sally rolled her eyes and nodded at Hank. Mac pushed himself up and staggered forward. The pair took his arms and half spun him. He teetered on his feet. When had the floor become so wobbly?

"Not that way, that's the laundry machine." Hank offered. Mac's head leaned forward and he closed his eyes. A supernova burned behind his eyes. His hair hurt. He bent forward almost falling out of their hands. Another set of hands around his chest helped hold him upright.

"You going dancing without me, brother?" Mac sank gratefully onto the shower bench and gratefully let them take his soiled shirt. He looked up at Jack, his body losing stress at his partner's presence.

"You came back," Mac's voice cracked with the ridiculous amount of gratitude he felt. Jack looked down at him and smiled.

"Of course, I always do, don't I?" Mac nodded and curled forward a nuclear firebrand travelled down his neck from the back of his head. He cried out and reached out grabbing Jack's shirt. Mac leaned forward and once again his gut inverted.

"Yuk, ugh, kiddo what the hell did you eat."

"Nng." Mac mumbled spitting. He could feel Jack move beside him as he turned on the shower. The water was hot. Mac turned his head aside as Hank hosed him off with the handheld. Each drop was a drill of acid. Mac couldn't hold back a cry of pain as he was pummeled in his aching head. Even his eyelashes hurt. Sparks seemed to explode behind his eyes and he felt himself suddenly turn to goo.

"Whoa! Easy...gotcha." Jack said. Mac felt familiar arms catch him before he slid off the chair. Mac's head fell forward. Everything went a sour yellow and fuzzy. Mac's forehead leaned into Jack's wet T-shirt as he was lifted and stripped out of the rest of his dirty clothes. Mac's muscles tried to work, to hold him up, but the bones they clung to had the firmness of Jell-o.

Mac moaned as meat hooks grabbed his scalp and tried to pull his head apart.

"Doc Carl wants to get an MRI, I need to clean your hair." Sally, of course, bitch. Jack chuckled in his ear. He must have growled that out loud. Served her right. Bitch. Mac gasped as his head was again pummelled by air jets of water.

"Easy, kiddo…" The voice came from a black tunnel that seemed to stretch more and more until he couldn't see the light anymore.

Jack tightened his grip on Mac as the kid went limp. He leaned Mac's head forward and gently felt the kid's scalp.

"It's right here." Sally said gently. Hank turned off the water and stepped out returning with a handful of thick towels. Jack followed her directions and gently parted Mac's hair. His eyes widened and they shared a worried glance. There was a large bump, but it was mushy, clearly healing. Around that was a giant thick bruise. It had been a big bastard.

"Jeez, how the hell was he up and walking around with that thing?" Hank asked as he handed Sally a towel. Sally gently towelled Mac's head dry. Jack supported his partner as the two medics dried him off and slid him into a gown.

"That's Mac." Jack sighed his frustration evident. Sally put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"None of us noticed, Jack. This isn't on you." She said. Jack's jaw clenched as he bent and lifted Mac laying him on a fresh gurney and covered him with a blanket.

"I tell you this, Sally, this boy ain' gonna be doin' nothing until that is better and I mean better as in totally healed." Sally met Jack's resolved look and nodded.

"Right there with you, Jack. Time to teach our boy how to take care of himself."

"Damn right."

"Even if we have to tie him down." Sally growled. Her and Jack shared a grin as they pushed the unconscious man to MRI. Hank stopped and shook his head. He'd heard about Mac and Jack, of course. Every new person, especially in medical, were trained about Phoenix's best team. It hadn't taken a genius to pick up on Sally's fierce protectiveness about the young agent. Other than a few lively scientific conversations and Mac helping him on his thesis, Hank hadn't had much contact with the blonde. Mac struck him as a perfectly capable, incredibly smart and strong person. Mac was quiet and brilliant. It was easy to see why he was universally loved by everyone in the building. Hank had never known what the phrase heart of gold meant until he met MacGyver. Hank smiled. He could feel himself want to protect that specialness. He could see how easy it was to become a member of the kid's flock of Mother Hens. Hank laughed. As if there weren't over a hundred in this building already. All of them together couldn't add up to the smothering the two who left with their favorite charge was capable of.

"Mac, you are so in for it." Hank said as he bent to clean up the shower, "Sorry, man." Sorry, not sorry. Hank thought this was going to be an awesome job after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Mac groaned. The world around him shook.

"Wha-?"

"Shit, he's waking up, how much longer?"

"Only ten minutes."

"Told you we should have done the MRI first."

"Shut up, Jack."

Mac frowned. He knew those voices. He licked his lips.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, brother, I'm here. You need to stay quiet and try not to move, ok?"

"Hmmm?" Mac worked his mouth.

"Yeah, just breathe easy, you're ok, ok?"

"Why...ehrm…?"

"What?"

"Hurts…"

"I know, brother. Just breathe for me ok, you're almost done."  
"Almost done?" Mac lifted his hand to brush his bangs out of his face. He frowned when his hand bumped into something smooth and curved. Mac's eyes snapped open. He was in a cage! In a coffin! In a coffin-cage! His eyes widened.

"Jack!" He yelped.

"Shit…" He heard in his ears. Mac reached up to pull the cage off, it wouldn't budge.

"JACK!" He screamed as he kicked trying to back out the tube. The rattling around him was louder. Something grabbed his legs. He kicked out panic cramping his chest.

"NO!" He yelled. He was pulled feet first out of the tube. He had a brief flash of a white room, then the cage was gone and Jack scooped him up. Mac tightened his muscles his breathing sawed in and out and the world spun crazily around him. Jack pulled him closer and rubbed his back.

"Easy, buddy, easy...breathe with me, ok?"

"Jack-" Mac hiccupped in a breath. He bent forward and wrapped his arms around Jack. Solid, warm, safe Jack. Mac let out a shaky breath.

"Wh...wha-"  
"Shhh, you're ok. You're ok, I promise." Mac managed to take in a full breath and let it out slowly. Muscle by muscle with concerted effort Mac forced himself to relax until only his heart sprinted in his chest. He took deep breaths until they began to slow. Jack let go as Mac relaxed. Finally he leaned back. Mac blinked the room into focus. He frowned and winced as he slowly sat up. He didn't hear the loud grinding anymore, but it echoed in the bones of his head. He braced himself up on one arm and pulled away from Jack.

"MRI? What the hell is going on?" Mac asked blinking his eyes. Everything had fuzzy double edges. He reached up to touch the back of his head. He didn't remember getting hit in the head on their last mission in...Mac scowled his brain blanking.

"...huh?" Mac blinked until Jack's face didn't look like a tan marshmallow. Jack stopped in midrant when he saw the look of genuine confusion, "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose and pulled his anger back.

"Falling. From a ladder. At home?" Mac sat up straight and closed his eyes swaying back and forth. Jack put a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Mac's voice was tired and thick. Jack let out a deep breath.

"Bozer said that you fell off a ladder a couple of weeks ago." Mac rubbed his forehead. He had a vague memory of painting the deck after fixing the railing then… Mac winced as he shook his head.

"Don't remember that." He mumbled. Before Jack could say anything, the door opened and Sally wheeled in a chair. Jack could feel Mac's muscles tighten under his hand. Mac straightened and a familiar wariness entered his gaze.

"What do you want?" He growled. Sally smiled.

"I'm here to take you to your room, kiddo."

"Don't call me kiddo and I'm not staying." Mac moved to hop off the narrow bench. Jack dug his fingers into Mac's shoulder. Mac shrugged away.

"Ow! What the fuck, Jack?"

"You aren't going anywhere." Jack said. Mac gave Jack the full power of his glare. Jack narrowed his eyes and met his partner's anger with his own. Their eyes fenced and had a silent screaming match for a full two minutes. Mac turned away first. His head hurt too much to keep up the battle. He let out a loud sigh-growl and his shoulders slumped.

"I don't know why I have to stay, what the hell are they going to do that I can't do at home...all Bozer's fault...jerks...it's a fucking conspiracy…" Mac's sulky voice was barely audible. Jack and Sally shared triumphant smiles. Mac shoved Jack's hand off his shoulder and hopped off the platform. He fell into a deep hole.

Mac looked up confused. His legs folded like an accordion. His knees hit the hard tile with a loud bang, his rump a softer one a second later. Mac yelped part in surprise and part at the pull in his legs. For the second time that morning, Jack stared at Mac dumbfounded. Sally moved around the wheelchair and bent to help Mac. Mac slapped her hands away and reached out to pull himself up using the arm of the wheelchair. He made it to an awkward stoop before his knees let go again. He fell backwards and his head slammed into the hard corner of the MRI's bench. His teeth clicked together. A magnesium flare fried his brain and Mac slumped out before he again hit the ground, this time his head spewing a fountain of blood.

"Son of a Bitch!" Jack roared. He'd been only a second too late to catch the blonde. He grabbed the sheet Mac had laid on and bunched it into a wad. He pressed it hard into the back of Mac's head.

"Crap!" Sally growled showing a rare flare of anger. She pulled the wheelchair back, "I'll go get the doc." Jack nodded absently. He didn't like how the sheet was turning from pink to dark red. He added more sheet to his ball and added more pressure.

"Stupid kid...up on a fuckiing ladder...probably in the middle of a thunderstorm...all alone...no consideration for your elders...Dammit! Quit bleeding already!" Jack's grumble grew into an angry shout.

"Jack!" Jack looked up as Riley and Bozer dashed in.

"What the hell did you do?" Bozer accused.

"ME? What the hell did you do? Letting him up on a ladder-"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry ain' cutting it, is it?"

"Look here, Jack-"

"Will you two shut up?" Riley's yell slapped Bozer and Jack's mouths shut. The froze and looked at her surprised. Riley took a calming breath.

"Look, this isn't helping Mac, right? We need to work together to get Mac put back together."

"She's right." Jack said. He paused adding more sheet against Mac's bloody skull. Where the hell was Sally and Doc Carl? Jack gritted his teeth.

"...of course I'M not the one who dropped him…" Bozer's snark was just audible enough to reach Jack. Jack let out a deep in the throat growl and his muscles tightened. He and Bozer glared at each other.

"Boze! Jack!" Riley snapped putting her hands up between the two as if they were about to start fighting, "Look, Mac is not a child. This is on him. He's the one that never looked for help." Bozer and Jack's expression changed. They shared a thoughtful gaze then turned to face the unconscious man.

"You're right, Ri, sorry Jack."

"Yeah, me too, Boze. Tell ya this, he ain' going nowhere until he's better."

"Agreed." Bozer said crossing his arms and nodding.

"Right there with you, boys." Riley added. The trio turned when Mac softly moaned and his eyes fluttered open. Mac's eyes slowly focused on Jack. He reached up and his eyes widened. He shied back from Jack.

"Why are you doing that?" He squealed trying to break free from the older man's grasp. Jack glanced at Riley and Bozer who knelt beside the two men. Riley took Mac's hand drawing his attention to her. His wide eyes looked for a way out, "Why is he doing that?" Riley glanced at Jack who shrugged.

"Doing what?"

"He's pulling out my brains! I can feel his fingers inside my head! Please, make him stop." Tears glittered in Mac's eyes.

"Uhm…" Riley looked at Jack. Jack shook his head. Bozer patted Mac's belly.

"You're Ok, Mac, you just been working with that acetone you use to clean off carburetors. Remember last time you saw pink teddies eating a smurf?" Mac blinked at Bozer considering.

"Pink teddies?"

"Eating a smurf?"

"Really?" Mac asked either ignoring Jack and Riley or not hearing them.

"Yeah, roomie. Big whiff of it, you went over sideways." Mac relaxed a notch. His eyes squeezed shut and he moaned as Jack pressed harder alarmed by the growing puddle of blood.

"Why does it hurt so much?" Mac asked looking up at Jack. Jack tried to offer a comforting smile. He didn't dare remove his hands from Mac's scalp. Where the hell was Sally and Doc?

"Well, you fell and hit your head hard, a couple of times." Jack said forcing his voice to be slow, deep and calm. Mac blinked slowly gazing into Jack's face looking for something. He nodded and relaxed. He patted the back of his hand against Jack's arm.

"It's ok," Mac let out a long breath, his eyes opened slower and slower. "Just put my head back on when you're done, ok?" Jack smiled and glanced at Riley who shook her head. Riley bent forward and gently ran her fingers through Mac's hair. Mac hummed.

" 'K?" He mumbled.

"Sure, bud, we'll put your brains back in your head." Jack said. This seemed to satisfy the blonde. His body completely relaxed and he drifted off. Jack shot Riley a worried look. She pressed a finger against Mac's neck and nodded up at Jack. He let out a breath and nodded at Bozer.

"Good job, Boze." Bozer shot the older man an aw-shucks look.

"This isn't the first time I had to deal with a loopy MacGyver."


	3. Chapter 3

Mac bolted upright a half-scream on his lips. His breath sawed in and out as his eyes darted across the room desperately. A sheen of sweat covered his body and his heart raced like a scared squirrel. He sat up straight and leaned forward. His stomach raged and threatened to explode; his head didn't threaten. He cried out a a rainbow of agony flashed across his vision and explosions of pain crackled in his ears. He reached back and frowned feeling a thick bandage.

"What the-?" Mac moaned.

"You're awake, we've been tak-stop that." Mac squinted up at Jack when the older man swatted his hands away. Jack used the same movement to swipe a hand across Mac's forehead and finished with a flourish of mustling Mac's hair. Mac slapped out with both hands pawing Jack's arms out of his personal bubble.

"You stop! Jeez, I don't have a fever, I-" Mac trailed off frowning. Jack grinned knowingly and crossed his arms. He stood beside Mac's bed in Phoenix medical. He waited knowing what was coming. It was the same thing that happened the last four times Mac woke up.

"Jack, what's going on? What happened?" Jack laughed and shook his head. He pulled the chair beside the bed closer and turned it so he could straddle it and lean on the back. Mac looked at him suspiciously.

"Why are you laughing? What's going on?" Jack held out a hand. He could feel Mac's anxiety rise, again.

"It's ok, brother. I was just thinking we should tape this like that Adam Sandler movie, you know the one with all the dates?" Mac rubbed his forehead and winced. Everything hurt and swam with any movement.

"You know I hate Adam Sandler."

"You just haven't-"

"Jack!" Mac closed his eyes and turned aside as if he'd just been punched. Jack leaned forward his concern in his gaze.

"It's ok, kiddo. You fell down a couple of weeks ago." Mac narrowed his eyes. He looked as if he were trying to see Jack through a white-out blizzard.

"And?" Jack sighed.

"You had a hell of a concussion but hid it." Jack's voice gained an angry edge, "When we got back from our last mission, you collapsed. Your brain was still mush and you hit your head again after we did an MRI." Mac raised an eyebrow then closed his eyes. Even his eyebrows hurt.

"MRI?"

"Yeah, long story short you've been really messed up. This is the fourth time we've gone through all this." Mac scowled and stared at Jack as if deciding whether to believe him or not. He moaned and leaned back a hand on his head.

"How long-"

"You've been inpatient here about a week." Mac bolted upright surprised. He lost his battle with his stomach. Jack already had a basin ready. He put a steadying hand on Mac's shoulder as the world vanished in the agony of puking. Not that he had much to puke. Mac wrinkled his nose. Evidently he'd eaten vegetable soup recently, cheap canned, probably Campbell's. No wonder he felt sick.

Jack cranked up the back of the bed as Mac emptied his gut of any whiff of food he'd thought of eating in the last year. Mac collapsed back. Jack frowned at Mac's pallor and sweat running down the kid's face. Jack wrinkled his nose and set aside the pink bucket tossing a paper towel over it. He handed another paper towel to Mac. Mac wiped his mouth then tossed it in the basin. He closed his eyes. Jack sat down and shoved the bedside table away. Mac laid with his eyes closed so long Jack was beginning to think he'd fallen asleep or passed out again. He raised his hand to check his partner's forehead. Mac opened his eyes and caught Jack in midair. He rolled his head in Jack's direction and glared at the man.

Jack pulled his hand back and moved it up as if her were running his hand through his hair. Mac rolled his eyes and gasped in pain.

"When-"

"Stop right there, I'm tired of having that argument too." Jack sighed exasperated. Mac narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you know how many times we've gone over this?" Mac's mouth quirked at the corners.

"This week or ever?" Jack cranked up his own glare. Mac's laugh broke off into a cry of pain. Jack shook his head and let out a long frustrated sigh.

"I'm going to get Sally." He stood up. Mac grabbed his hand.

"I'm sorry, Jack. You don't have-" Mac gave Jack his most pathetic puppy gaze. Jack chuckled and pulled Mac's hand off his arm.

"Too late, brother. Besides, it's her shift." Mac frowned.

"Shift?" Jack rolled his eyes.

"Do you know how many times you've tried to escape?"

"If I was at home-"

"Nope, been down that road a billion times already too. Besides it's time for your pain medicine..Zip it, bud! You don't get a choice anymore." Mac snapped his mouth shut at the layer of genuine anger in Jack's tone. Mac looked away rubbing his head. What did he do? Hid getting hit in the head? Mac closed his eyes trying to stop the whirling twit-no that's not right. Mac bit his lip and nodded at Jack. Jack relaxed a notch and turned to leave. Mac's eyes widened. Two TAC officers greeted Jack at the door. They called in TAC agents to keep him in his hospital room? Mac scowled a bit pissed off and a lot hurt. Jack looked over his shoulder and spoke in low tones Mac couldn't make out. The two agents laughed. Mac gritted his teeth. Ok, that's it. Enough is enough.

Mac studied his room. He'd tried several times? Hmm. Have to do something different. Hard to do, he admitted, when he had no idea what he had done, but still. Ok, his first thought would be the classic call for help and ambush the guard. Wouldn't work because he's in no shape to go very far, let alone fight two agents that had to pass Jack Dalton's muster. Mac glanced at the clock. Ok, he'd have to do something that needed time, so he had to buy time. He had no doubt his so-called friends were keeping him drugged to the gills to make him more manageable. First thing was to stop that from happening. He pulled the IV pump closer. He turned it off and flipped open the tubing door. He pulled out the tubing and glanced around him.

Like always, the team had left him a handful of paperclips. He smiled and quickly bent one into a tiny hook. He snapped off the panel behind the tubing and dug in until he found the wires that connected the tube sensor to the alarm. He unsnapped it then put the whole thing together. He glanced at the door. His two guards looked bored, no sign of Sally. Mac twisted off the tubing linked to the IV in his forearm. He frowned searching around him. He smiled and pulled a new toothbrush out of a shallow drawer under the top of the bedside table. He tore it out of it's wrapper. He used the non-brush end to dig into the IV tip and snapped off the tiny hard tube that poked into his IV site allowing fluid to run. He gritted his teeth and twisted until he heard a snap. He looked up.

One of the guards half turned. Mac dropped his hand down and tilted his head away from the guards. The guard leaned over to tell the other guy something. They both laughed and turned back to the hall. Mac could hear Sally and Doc Carl's voices. He pulled a bandaid off his antecubital and tugged out a piece of cotton from the cotton ball it was holding against a previous poke. He stuffed that into the tip of the IV tubing, screwed it back on then clicked on the IV pump. He flicked the broken nub of plastic off the bed and laid back closing his eyes. He didn't have to fake the waves of agony rippling through his head.

Doc Carl gave the open doorway a perfunctory tap. Sally didn't bother merely strode in as if she were in a shopping mall. Mac glared at her as he pulled off the bandaid and tossed it into the emesis bin. She smiled and moved to the IV. As expected she had a syringe of medicine already drawn up. Mac was careful to keep the smile off his face. He turned to Doc Carl who snapped up the clipboard at the bottom of Mac's bed. He nodded.

"Been up to the bathroom a few times, good." Mac frowned. He didn't remember that. For some reason not knowing that bothered him more than anything else. He squirmed in bed. Doc Carl frowned at the bin as Sally took it away.

"Sick again?" Mac turned away. He knew that vomiting with a concussion automatically translated into more jail time.

"It was Jack's fault-" Doc Carl nodded and marked something down on the clipboard before Mac could finish. Mac huffed and glared at the young doctor. Doc Carl rehung the chart and leaned over Mac. His young face was lined with worry.

"Ok, Mac you know the drill." Mac rolled his eyes and had to bite back a moan of pain.

"I'm Angus MacGyver, you're Doc Carl, that…," Mac paused looking over as Sally came out of the bathroom, "...lovely nurse is Sally, and I'm ready to go home." Doc Carl smiled.

"You know the rest." Mac sighed.

"Trump is President-"

"Unfortunately." Sally added under her breath.

"-and it's 2018." Mac finished. Doc Carl raised an eyebrow and waited. Mac met his gaze innocently.

"Do you know what day it is?" Mac's jaw clenched. Ok, Jack said he'd fallen two weeks ago...how long had he said Mac had been in? Mac's shoulder slumped in defeat and he shook his head. Doc Carl frowned worried.

"Do you know what month it is?" Mac bit his lips. His eyes burned with frustration.

"October?" Doc Carl shook his head.

"December just started." Mac's eyes widened and he sat up straight.

"What?" Doc Carl sat on the corner of Mac's bed.

"Easy, Mac. It's ok. You're going to be ok. Your memory is going to be a bit spotty until that bruising in your head goes away." Mac automatically reached back to touch the wad of gauze on the back of his head. Sally intercepted his hand. She squeezed it gently. Mac glared at her and yanked it free. Sally's look of concern didn't diminish. That irritated Mac more.

"I can get better at home just as well as I can hear." Mac tried. Doc Carl and Sally shared a long suffering look. Mac turned away his hands balling into fists. Obviously they'd heard his arguments more than a few times over the past week. Mac really wished he could remember. Of course if results are any indication, he had to have lost every argument they'd had so far. Mac laid back and relaxed closing his eyes. Besides, he consoled himself, it wasn't like he didn't have a back up plan.

Doc Carl and Sally sent each other a worried look. Mac had given up entirely too easily. Doc Carl quickly assessed Mac. Mac was unnervingly cooperative. Sally piled charts on the bedside table and settled in for the duration. Mac closed his eyes and allowed himself to ease into a light sleep. He didn't know who was on the next shift, but he knew whoever it was wouldn't be as hard to get past as Jack or Sally. He just hoped it wasn't Matty. If it was, he'd have to wait another whole shift. Damnit.

Mac bolted upright a half-scream on his lips. His breath sawed in and out as his eyes darted across the room desperately. A sheen of sweat covered his body and his heart raced like a scared squirrel. He sat up straight and leaned forward. His stomach raged and threatened to explode; his head didn't threaten. He cried out a a rainbow of agony flashed across his vision and explosions of pain crackled in his ears. He reached back and frowned feeling a thick bandage.

"What the-?" Mac moaned.

"You're awake, we've been tak-stop that." Mac squinted up at Jack when the older man swatted his hands away. Jack used the same movement to swipe a hand across Mac's forehead and finished with a flourish of mustling Mac's hair. Mac slapped out with both hands pawing Jack's arms out of his personal bubble.

"You stop! Jeez, I don't have a fever, I-" Mac trailed off frowning. Jack sighed and settled in for his shift. Here they go again.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack's heart broke at the soft whimper that came from his partner as the blonde moved his head. Tears dripped down the kid's face. He was ghastly pale. Jack brushed hair back from his sweaty face. He looked up at Doc Carl.

"What is going on? He was doing fine yesterday." Doc Carl frowned and shook his head.

"I'm not sure. Sally, can we give him more morphine?" Sally frowned tears glittering in her eyes. The others thought she looked like she was the one in agony.

"I've given him everything I have. I don't know what's wrong." Doc Carl itched his forehead at a loss.

"We have to do something!" Riley snarled. She sat on the bed at Mac's back rubbing his chest with soothing circles. Mac grabbed Jack's arms hard enough to leave a line of half-moon gouges.

"Jack...please!" Mac curled into a ball and ducked his head against Jack's knee as he bit his lip to keep from screaming. Jack rubbed a thumb over his brother's hand and rubbed Mac's shoulder.

"I know, brother. Just keep breathing."  
"J-auhng!" Mac cried out. He reached up to his head. Jack caught his hand. Mac arched back eyes squinted shut. He rasped in air and squeezed Jack's hand hard enough Jack's fingers blanched and went numb. Jack shot Doc Carl a desperate look.

"Do something!" Doc Carl opened his mouth, but for the first time since Jack had known him, the young doctor was at a loss.

"I don-"

"I got her!" Bozer yelled. The others looked up in relief. Bozer came running in dragging Doc Carl's grandmother in his wake. Izzy's hair was up in curlers and she wore soft blue velvet slippers and a long fluffy robe. She pulled free of Bozer and stepped to Mac's bedside pulling a stethoscope out of her pocket. She shot Doc Carl a questioning glance. Doc Carl rattled into the whole story.

Izzy gently moved Jack out of her way while allowing Mac to maintain his hold on the older man. She put her smooth cool hand on his forehead and gently brushed his hair back. His blue eyes begged for help. The pulse at his temple thumped under her palm like a trapped rabbit and his breath puffed fast against her wrist.

"Shhh, Angus...shhh." She murmured.

"Hurts." His voice was weak and small. Instead of the almost thirty world class agent he looked like a frightened child in pain. Izzy patted his cheek and smoothed away his tears.

"It's ok...shhh...shhh." Mac's grip on Jack lessened. Jack shook his head. He'd seen the elderly doctor work miracles, and Izzy did not disappoint. Mac's breathing slowed and his body relaxed, a little. Izzy nodded and turned to face Doc Carl who finished his summary with the current labs and vitals. Izzy sat back and put on her stethoscope. She pushed curlers out of the way and leaned over Mac closing her eyes and listened.

She scooted closer and put a hand on Mac's shoulder.

"Easy...shhh...just take deep breaths, Angus...shhh…." She leaned over and rubbed his back. She glanced at Jack who nodded. Jack moved around her until he was closer to Mac and able to hold both his hands. Izzy circled the bed and leaned over. Everyone in the room braced themselves. Bozer turned away looking like he was going to puke. Riley brushed at tears running down her face. Jack started to babble.

Izzy glanced at Sally and Doc Carl. She spoke softly, her voice seemed to sooth the entire room with its calm confidence.

"Sally, you need to get oxygen set up, use a nonrebreather until we get him caught up, right?"

"Yes, Izzy." Sally turned and moved to complete the orders with the odd pace all medical workers acquired a sprint that looked like a bored stroll.

"Carl draw up a toradol/ versed IM-"  
"But Gran, he's had-" Izzy silenced him with a single raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Gran. How-"

"Max it out," Doc Carl paused ready to argue with his grandmother, "Trust me. I'll explain after we get Angus settled down, ok?"

" 'course."  
"Carl?" Doc Carl rolled his eyes.

"Yes, of course, Gran." He turned. Izzy shot Jack an amused glance.

"The training never ends does it, Jack?" Jack didn't answer. Izzy paused and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. He glared at her.

"We're-"

"Shhh...it's going to be ok, I promise." Jack let out a deep breath and nodded. Izzy smiled. Then sat side saddle on the bed at Mac's back.

"Izzy…"Mac pleased.

"Trust me, Angus." Mac closed his eyes and curled forward his body shaking with pain.

"Here, Gran." Doc Carl handed Izzy a shot. Jack's eyes widened as he saw the long fat syringe pass by. He looked at Izzy wide-eyed. Izzy chuckled.

"Jack, breathe." She said. He stared at her. Izzy hid the syringe from his view and shook his arm, "Jack! Breathe." Jack automatically sucked in air. Izzy nodded, "Don't look, we don't need you both out." Jack closed his eyes and squeezed Mac's hand. Izzy rubbed Mac's back gently and murmured soothingly as she uncapped the syringe.

She waited until Mac relaxed then in one smooth move jammed the syringe deep into his butt. Mac yelped in surprise. Izzy tossed the syringe in the bedside sharps box then bent over and turned to examine his head. As soon as her hands touched the back of his head Mac let loose a soul-breaking scream.

"Easy, easy. I'm sorry, I have to look." Izzy said her voice never losing its gentle calm. She nimbly pulled apart his hair and examined his scalp. The stitches had been taken out and the swelling was gone. The bruising had gone down, but was still easily seen. Izzy frowned as she gently felt under the skin.

"Jack!" Mac sobbed. Jack's eyelashes were wet as he leaned closer so Mac could hear him. Mac's entire body shook and sweat ran down his face. Izzy braced herself then pressed on Mac's scalp as hard as she dared. Mac arched back. His mouth hung open as he gasped for air. His skin lost any illusion of color. Izzy leaned back and nodded. Mac's eyes fuzzily darted around him looking for an escape route. Jack shifted his grip so he was holding Mac in place more than comforting him. Mac's breath was wild gasps.

"J...ca...hel...j…" Mac wheezed. Izzy looked up and nodded at Sally. Sally handed Jack an O2 mask. Jack gently put it over Mac's nose and mouth and held it in place. Izzy went back to rubbing Mac's back. The room sat silent except for Mac's groans of pain and Jack's soft murmurs of comfort. Mac's breathing slowed and his eyes grew heavy. When he finally went limp, everyone in the room let out a relieved breath.

"I think we can leave the dressing off. It's healing well." Izzy said frowning as a roller fell across her forehead. She twisted hair around it and tucked it up and reclipped it in midstep.

"Then what the hell was that!" Jack's voice may have been a low whisper but it snapped like a roar of anger. Izzy smiled not bothered by the younger man's anger or frustration.

"You forgot MacGyver is MacGyver." She said amusement in her still pond blue eyes.

"What do you mean?" Bozer asked sitting beside Mac's legs. Izzy crossed to the IV and opened the door. She pulled out the tubing and nodded.

"Oh, Angus." Her voice was part mirth and part pride. She untwisted the IV at Mac's wrist and pulled out the wet wad of cotton. The others gaped at each other then at Mac.

"That little shit!" Jack bellowed not caring if he woke Mac up or not. Riley took the IV and looked at it closer.

"He blocked the fluid from coming in and disabled the alarm."

"Son of a bitch!" Sally snarled. Everyone looked at her surprised. Sally swallowed.

"Sorry, Izzy." Izzy patted her shoulder.

"It's ok, Sally. This child can test anyone's patience, that's why we all love him, no?" The others stared at Mac, each once torn between anger and love for the lanky agent.

"What was he going to do?" Bozer asked, "I mean, we caught him trying to cut up his sheets to go out the window, almost up into the ceiling-"

"Trying to make a bomb out of yesterday's meatloaf and mentos." Riley added. Bozer nodded.

"And lets not forget what he did to Ted and Leo." Everyone stopped to feel pity for the poor disabled TAC agents, "They're demanding hazard pay from Matty."

"They deserve it...what he did with that urinal and the lightbulb-"

"Don't say it, Boze. I already have nightmares about it." Riley said squirming.

"I told dietary not to listen to him when he asked for cayenne pepper." Doc Carl said defensively.

"It's ok, dear. No one blames you." Izzy said patting the young doctor on the back.

"I still don't get why he stopped his pain medication." Bozer said, "Even Mac isn't stubborn enough to- Ok, nevermind." Jack sighed and brushed Mac's hair back from his pale sweaty face. Mac seemed to melt under his touch and looked as boneless as a cat on nip.

"I should have known he was up to something. He was too confused, I should have watched him closer."

"No, Jack, it's on me. I should have seen the fluids weren't running like they should."  
"But I-"  
"ALRIGHT!" Izzy said. Her voice snapped across the room, even though she didn't raise it.

"Let's all agree Mac was confused and was in mid-plan when he forgot. It was his doing, alright?"

"You're right, Gran. What do we do now?" Izzy's eyes twinkled.

"I think it's time we let Angus go home."

"We what now?" Jack asked.


	5. Chapter 5

"No, Jack, pull here...then slide...Perfect!" Jack grinned elated. He turned to Bozer.

"Look at that, right there!" Riley growled at the happy agent and shook her head.

"Riley, you dropped a stitch." Boze said leaning over the couch.

"I know that, Bozer!" Riley slapped her small raggedy square of wool between two knitting needles on the coffee table, "That's it! I give up."

"Riley, look all you have to do-" Bozer soothed, setting down his elegant multi colored scarf.

"Bozer if you try to mansplain knitting to me I swear I will delete your ass from-"

"I thought this was supposed to encourage peace and meditation." Matty said chuckling as she approached. She smiled at Jack leaning white knuckled over a long strip of wool. The Delta was completely focused on forcing the needles to lift and purl the yarn. Izzy followed Matty's glance and grinned looking up from her own half-finished sweater.

Both of the women knew the impromptu seminar on knitting accomplished its purpose, kept Jack busy. Neither missed the periodic glances at the baby monitor on the table at his elbow. The soft rhythmic sleeping reassured Dalton enough he turned back to his shaky knitting.

"I just suck at it." Riley said standing up. Bozer opened his mouth, seeing the warning look from Matty he snapped it shut and hunched over his knitting. No one had been surprised at the ease he picked up the art form. With his long history of sewing costumes, he whipped the string around like a practiced expert. Riley gritted her teeth spun and stormed into the house. Matty shook her head and sat in her place.

"Are you going to try, my dear?" Izzy asked Matty, a challenge in her gleaming smile. Matty laughed and held up her hands.

"Do these look like the hands of a knitter?" Bozer again opened his mouth. Again he was silenced by a glare from Matty. Everyone paused at a restless snore over the baby monitor. Jack was on his feet before he knew he moved.

"Easy, Jack. He's ok, the alarm hasn't gone off." Izzy's voice was calm, still. Jack let out a long breath and looked at his watch.

"He's been sleeping since we got here." The others stared at him. He sat down and picked up his knitting.

"I know, I know. That's a good thing, but it ain't normal."

"It's ok, Jack." Izzy patted Jack's arm and adjusted her priz nez reading glasses.

"Watch how tight you pull the yarn, Jack, you don't want too much tension." Izzy said pointing a needle at Jack's irregular stitches.

"Yeah, Jack you don't want too much tension." Bozer chuckled. Jack slowly looked up with his eyes narrowed. Bozer set his knitting down on the deck table.

"I think I'll go check to see how much Sam has gotten from the others."

"Good idea, Boze." Matty said. Jack put down his knitting and leaned forward rubbing his eyes. Matty and Izzy shared a worried look.

"When was the last time you slept, Jack?" Matty asked. Jack shot her a surprised glance.

"What? You woke me up this afternoon."

"I doubt you slept well in a chair, Jack." Izzy said looking over her reading glasses. Jack leaned back his gaze travelling between the two women.

"What is this? I'm not the one that needs to be ganged up on."

"Oh really-" Matty's voice was interrupted by the jingle of bells over the baby monitor. Jack dropped his knitting and strode into the house. The two older women shared a knowing look. Izzy stood up and leaned back cracking her back. She pulled off her reading glasses and strolled toward the glass doors. Matty glanced back at the half circle of chairs.

"I can't believe you kept them all busy that long." Matty said following the doctor into the house.

"I've always been good with children." Izzy shot over her shoulder.

An ax chopped deep into Mac's skull. He moaned and tried to roll out of its way. He blinked at the tinkle of a bell. It seemed to dig into his head like broken glass. He raised his hand and frowned. A string was tied to his finger. He followed the string to a small group of Christmas jingle bells hanging from the head of his bed. Mac closed his eyes and laid back as explosions seemed to tear through his head.

The door opened. Mac closed his eyes and turned away from dim light that came in with Jack. Jack grinned and stepped into the room leaving the door open. Mac frowned as his surroundings sunk in. He was in his room, at home. He untied the string from his finger and dropped it. Mac rolled to his side and pushed up to sitting. He groaned and leaned forward holding his head.

"Hey, kiddo." Jack said softly. Even though his voice was barely above a whisper flares of white agony splintered Mac's head. He groaned.

"When did we get home?" Mac asked squinting up at Jack. Jack sat in the chair beside the bed after shoving a pile of clothes to the side. He leaned forward with elbows on his knees. Mac licked his lips.

"We brought you home last night, you gonna puke?" Mac licked his lips and swallowed instead of answering. Jack frowned wondering if they'd done the right thing, bringing Mac home. Mac could see the thought cross his partner's face. He leaned forward and touched Jack's hand.

"Thanks." He murmured. Jack's eyebrows raised.

"For what." Mac smiled weakly. Instead of answering he jerked back, "Crap." Jack grumbled. He snatched the pink plastic puke bucket and leapt across the distance to hold it under Mac's chin. Mac leaned forward dry heaving. Some mucus and bile came up. Jack grimaced and turned away fighting to keep his own gut from inverting. He rubbed Mac's back with his spare hand. Finally, Mac quieted. Jack handed him a tissue and set the pink bin on the floor. Mac spit into the Kleenex and tossed it into the plastic container. Jack wrinkled his nose and nudged it away. He turned to Mac.

Mac held onto the edge of the bed as if her were about to do a header to the floor. Jack put an arm over Mac's shoulders. He raised a worried eyebrow when instead of pulling away, Mac leaned his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Tired?" Jack murmured.

"And sore…" Mac breathed. His eyes fluttered and his whole weight slumped against Jack, "Glad to be home." Mac whispered. Jack smiled.

"Yeah." Jack cleared his throat, "Come on...get more rest ok?" Mac hummed. Jack eased Mac back and pulled the covers over his friend. Mac automatically burrowed into his pillows. Jack brushed hair back from Mac's face. Mac reached out and grabbed Jack's shirt. Jack smiled and held Mac's hand.

"It's ok, kiddo. I'm not going anywhere." Mac hummed. Jack tugged the chair closer and sank into it. Mac wormed closer and let out a contented sigh. Jack gently stroked Mac's head and yawned. It was good having Mac home. Jack realized Izzy had made the right call. They could keep an eye on Mac and Mac would know where he was and hopefully not feel the need to run. Jack yawned suddenly tired.

Jack moved to lean back. Mac's face twisted into a look of pain and clamped down on Jack's arm.

"It's ok, bud. I ain' goin' nowhere." Mac's face smoothed. Jack sighed. He'd wait until Mac was out, then...Jack laid his head down on Mac's bed. Soon they were both snoring softly.

Matty looked up at Izzy and smiled. Izzy smiled back and held out a fist. Matty bumped it then softly closed the door. Mac wasn't the only one that needed to be home to get better.

"Shall we join the others?" Izzy suggested. Matty smiled.

"Yes let's. Sam owes me a rematch." Izzy laughed thinking of Sally's fourteen year old sister. The little card shark had demanded to come to Mac's house with Sally and Doc Carl. Izzy smiled as she approached the double-sized table. Carl, Sally, Bozer and Riley looked up in relief. Izzy grinned at the pile of chips in front of Sam.

"Mind if we join?" Matty asked.

"Of course," Carl said standing. He looked ridiculously relieved. He held out his seat, "Here take my chair. I'm broke." Matty laughed and slid in, "Gran?" All eyes turned to Izzy.

"Just one minute." The others looked puzzled. She crossed to the deck and snagged the baby monitor. She returned and put it in the middle of the poker table, "We have to keep a lookout for our boys." She said even though no one argued.

"No kidding, did you know they got stuck up to their neck in quicksand in Uruguay one time?" Riley said as she shuffled the dead.

"Really?" Sam looked up. Sally rolled her eyes and swatted her hand.

"No ideas, you." Sam stuck out her tongue.

"Samantha, that's enough of that." Izzy said raising an eyebrow. Sam looked down genuinely contrite.

"Yes, Miss Izzy." She mumbled. Izzy nodded. The minute she looked down at her cards Sally turned and stuck her tongue out at her sister. The table erupted into laughter.

"Hey! Miss Izzy…!" Izzy looked up.

"No one likes a tattle tale, Samantha." Sam narrowed her eyes. Izzy smiled sweetly.

"Izzy, has Bozer ever told you about what happened to the football field in their hometown?" Riley asked. Izzy slid on her reading glasses and glanced at Bozer over them.

"Oh?" Bozer leaned forward warming to the subject.

"Well see we were in fifth grade…" Even as everyone got sucked into the story and the excitement of the game, every member of the family kept one ear on the baby monitor, just in case either of their boys needed them. The steady snoring of both men reassured the group of mother hens their charges were safe and secure. As long as they could, the family would see they stayed that way. No matter what it took.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ok, a bit sappy at the end, wasn't quite sure how to end it honestly. I could go on forever writing about our peeps. Sigh. Anyway, just to reassure you as long as I write, Jack will always be at Mac's side in the Poxeldaverse. I will still enjoy the show, but my boys will always be my boys-if you know what I mean. Anyway, I've been thinking about it and I think they are probably going to kill of Jack (WAAHHH) and introduce someone else as an "overwatch." It's what I would do. I would also add in a lot of friction between Mac and his new minder. I hope they do this or leave the team the way it is rather than bring in Daddy Mac more.

Anyway, I am trying to not think of it. I have a short one shot planned, based on a sort of prompt from the lovely Ridley C. James. She challenged us writers to take this week to write a story showing why Jack and Mac are a pair and why he belongs at Mac's side. That should be coming soon, then I have a Christmas gift coming. A story, that if it goes according to plan, might be my best yet. I don't want to say more to jinx it, but here's hoping. Anyway, thank you all for reading/ commenting/ Following/ favoriting! You're the best-Pox


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